समाचार

The AMC Networks March 2025 schedule has been announced and includes the return of lauded noir thriller Dark Winds, starring Zahn McLarnon, and the season finale of AMC’s Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, starring Alexandra Daddario.

The lineup also includes the premiere of The Last Anniversary, the new Liane Moriarty adaptation starring Teresa Palmer (A Discovery of Witches) and Miranda Richardson on AMC+ and Sundance Now, and the return of Acorn TV’s Recipes for Love and Murder, starring Maria Doyle Kennedy and Kylie Fisher.

Dark Winds Season 3

There’s also the new murder mystery Blackshore, starring Lisa Dwan (Bloodlands), the new season of We TV’s popular Love After Lockup franchise, and the Shudder Original film The Rule of Jenny Pen, starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, AMC Networks is launching the featured collection Women Who Dare, highlighting women-led series and films,...

What would you do if you created a website and everything you said or did was met by a heady rush of likes, heart emojis and many, many positive comments from a devoted number of followers spurring you on to do even more?

In Netflix’s “Apple Cider Vinegar,” premiering Thursday Feb. 6, that is exactly what happens to two Australian wellness influencers in the mid-2000s. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with promoting wellness but in these cases, one influencer, Milla Blake, started her website while seeking alternative treatment for her cancer. The other, Belle Gibson, did the same with one grievously frustrating difference. Gibson did not have cancer.

Through six tragi-comedy episodes, writers Samantha Strauss (“Nine Perfect Strangers”), Anya Beyersdorf (“The Twelve”) Angela Betzien (“Total Control”) and director Jeffrey Walker explore not only the glamorous world of early influencers but how easily those seeking help and community for their...

Commenters under Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar trailer seem to think the teaser gives off real Inventing Anna vibes. Both shows focus on women who draw unsuspecting victims into their web of lies. In Apple Cider Vinegar, the liar at the series’ heart is an Australian influencer who lures followers in with claims she’s found a new way to battle cancer.

“Set at the birth of Instagram, Apple Cider Vinegar follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way. All of which would be incredibly inspiring if it were all true,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “This is a true-ish story based on a lie, about the rise and fall of a wellness empire; the culture that built it up and the people who tore it down.”

The limited series is inspired by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano’s book,...

Netflix has released the official trailer and key art for Apple Cider Vinegar, which is a true-ish story based on a lie about the rise and fall of a wellness empire, the culture that built it up, and the people who tore it down. The limited series premieres on February 6.

Set at the birth of Instagram, Apple Cider Vinegar follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way. All of which would be incredibly inspiring if it were all true.

Directed by Jeffrey Walker, the true crime series was inspired by The Woman Who Fooled The World: Belle Gibson’s Cancer Con, and the Darkness at the Heart of the Wellness Industry by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano.

Samantha Strauss, Anya Beyersdorf and Angela Betzien (Total Control) are the writers of the series.

The cast includes Kaitlyn Dever,...

AMC Networks is celebrating Native American Heritage Month with the launch of its Indigenous Stories collection and short films series.

The collection highlights television and film content created by and starring Indigenous creatives and talent from AMC Networks, such as the Zahn McClarnon-produced thriller series “Dark Winds” and the Emmy-winning documentary “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”

Other “Celebrating Indigenous Stories” titles include “Black Snow,” “Good Grief,” “Far North,” “Total Control,” “The Red Road,” and “Cleverman.”

AMC Networks has also released a library of short films titled “Indigenous Rising Stars” as part of the “Celebrating Indigenous Stories” archive. “Indigenous Rising Stars” is featured as part of AMC’s “Future of Film” initiative. These shorts come from The Santa Fe International Film Festival’s Indigenous Program. They are curated by Gary Farmer (“Reservation Dogs”) and available to stream Nov. 25 through Dec. 24.

Among the short films selected for “Indigenous Rising Stars” are “Lily Gladstone: Far Out There,...

Kaitlyn Dever, who plays the much-hated Abby in season 2 of HBO's much-loved video game adaptation The Last of Us, will also appear in an upcoming Netflix series titled Apple Cider Vinegar, the streaming platform announced via press release. Dever is also listed as an executive producer of the project, which is expected to hit Netflix sometime in 2025.

The actress will appear alongside Alycia Debnam-Carey Aisha Dee, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Ashley Zukerman (Succession), Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin), Susie Porter, Matt Nable, Phoenix Raei (The Night Agent), Chai Hansen, Richard Davies (Offspring), Kieran Darcy-Smith (Mr Inbetween), Catherine McClements (Total Control), and Essie Davis.

The official plot synopsis reads:

Set at the birth of Instagram, 'Apple Cider Vinegar' follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way. All of which would be incredibly inspiring if it were all true.

Prime Video’s next YA book-based TV show with a big audience and set at the beach will likely be We Were Liars, based on the book by E. Lockhart.

The rights to the best-selling novel were optioned in 2022 by Julie Plec’s My So-Called Company and Universal Television.

Read on for everything we know about the We Were Liars television series:

When will We Were Liars come out?

A release date hasn’t been specified for the series, but E. Lockhart keeps posting on Instagram to expect the series in 2025.

Is We Were Liars in production?

Yes! The series has wrapped production.

Who will be in We Were Liars?

Emily Alyn Lind (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Subham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor (Baby Girl) and Joseph Zada (Total Control), will play the titular four liars, or the main quartet of kids that take center stage in Lockhart’s novel.

Lind plays Cadence,...

Hulu has revealed the official trailer for Last Days of the Space Age, an eight-part series that will premiere on the streaming service on October 2, 2024.

Starring Radha Mitchell and Jesse Spencer, Last Days of the Space Age is a dramedy series set in 1979 Western Australia, when Perth was at the center of the world’s headlines.

A power strike threatens to plunge the region into darkness while the city hosts the iconic Miss Universe pageant and the US space station, Skylab, crashes just beyond the city’s suburbs.

Against this backdrop of international cultural and political shifts, three families in a tight-knit coastal community find their marriages, friendships, and futures put to the test.

The series is led by Radha Mitchell (Olympus Has Fallen) and Jesse Spencer (Chicago Fire) as wife and husband, Judy and Tony Bissett. Deborah Mailman (Total Control) and Linh-Dan Pham (The Beat That My Heart Skipped...

Hulu on Tuesday released a trailer for the Australian drama Last Days of the Space Age, led by Chicago Fire vet Jesse Spencer.

The limited series, which hails from writer David Chidlow (Moving On), is set in 1979 Western Australia, “when Perth was at the center of the world’s headlines,” according to the official synopsis. “A power strike threatens to plunge the region into darkness, while the city hosts the iconic Miss Universe pageant and the U.S. space station, Skylab, crashes just beyond the city’s suburbs. Against this backdrop of international cultural and political shifts, three families in...

Knock-out Cast For ‘Knock-off’

Kim Soohyun, star of “My Love from The Star,” “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and “Queen of Tears,” will team up with Cho Boah, in Korean crime series “Knock-Off,” which Disney has set for a 2025 release.

The show dives into the murky world of counterfeit goods, following a man whose life is ruined in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Desperate to rebuild what he once had, the man finds himself drawn into the knock-off goods trade, quickly climbing up to the top of the counterfeit market scene. That sets him on a collision course with his ex-girlfriend who is now a special police office tasked with cracking down on the fake goods trade.

Disney has been racing to build up its Korean content library and has release ten shows so far in 2024.

Its upcoming slate includes “The Tyrant,” “Unmasked,” “Seoul Busters,” Light Shop” and crime thriller “Gangnam B-Side,...

The Bear season 2 soundtrack features an impressive selection of 1990s rock hits and older classics, as well as modern songs and Christmas classics. Each episode of The Bear season 2 is accompanied by an expansive and diverse soundtrack that enhances the tension and subplots of the characters. Songs from bands like Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Counting Crows, and The Smashing Pumpkins contribute to the overall success and elevated experience of The Bear season 2.

Along with the restaurant chaos, Chicago explorations, and personal storylines, The Bear season 2 soundtrack elevated the successful series pulling from memorable songs of the 1990s. The Bear season 2 picks up shortly after the end of the first season, as Carmen Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) prepare for the opening of their new restaurant, The Bear, with the returning staff from The Beef. As the tension picks up in The Bear season 2, the FX/Hulu...

Voice Growing Louder

“I Can See Your Voice,” the mystery music show which has been a hit format for South Korea’s Cj Enm, will strike a new chord with its 30th local adaptation set for Singapore.

The show in which guests have to identify whether the contestants are genuinely talented singers or bad singers based solely on lip-syncing and body language, is set to be adapted by public broadcaster Mediacorp. The aim is to eliminate the poor singers while identifying the talented ones to emerge as the winner.

It has previously been given local editions in countries including the U.S., the U.K, Germany, France, Thailand and the Philippines.

“[The adapted show is] set to bring our audiences weeks of family-friendly, dynamic entertainment. Beyond the excitement and suspense that comes with game shows, fans can also look forward to the unique showcase of raw performing talent beyond conventional singing abilities,” said Mediacorp’s chief content officer,...

Exclusive: Stan is saying goodbye to the Chalmers-Davis family.

The Australian streamer has put a fifth and final season of Bump into production, with filming underway in Sydney. The comedy-drama is Stan’s longest-running local scripted series, with the first season having launched back in January 2021.

The show is centered around ambitious teenage girl Oly, who unexpectedly has a baby, and the complications that follow for the Davis and Chalmers families.

The final season will hint at the future for the lead characters, jumping between past and present, as they face the cancer diagnosis of Oly’s mother Angie (Claudia Karvan) and try to celebrate the joy of Oly’s second pregnancy. Stan is providing the audience with a chance to be an extra by providing 30-second videos explaining what they’d like to see happen in the final episodes.

Nathalie Morris (We Were Dangerous), who plays Oly, will return...

We Were Liars, Prime Video’s series adaptation of E. Lockhart’s YA novel, has found its infamous Liars. Emily Alyn Lind (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), newcomer Shubham Maheshwari, Esther MacGregor (Baby Girl), and Joseph Zada (Total Control) are set as series regulars, joining Mamie Gummer, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Candice King and David Morse. The series hails from Julie Plec, Carina Adly MacKenzie, Universal Television and Amazon MGM Studios.

We Were Liars is a tragic love story and an amnesia thriller set on a privately owned island off the coast of Massachusetts. It centers on the wealthy, seemingly perfect Sinclair family, who spend every summer on their private island. Gummer, FitzGerald and King play the three Sinclair sisters.

Lind plays Cadence. The revered eldest granddaughter of a Kennedy-esque American dynasty is effortlessly clever and adventurous and has a knack for dramatic storytelling. She falls in love for the first time during an idyllic,...

Paradise Australian Spinoff

Filming has begun on “Return to Paradise,” an Australian spin-off series of the global hit murder mystery franchise “Death in Paradise.” With filming in locations across Sydney and the Illawarra coastal region, the six-part whodunit is produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia with Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in association with the BBC. The BBC will screen the series on BBC One and iPlayer in the U.K. It will be distributed globally by BBC Studios.

“Return to Paradise” follows detective inspector Mackenzie Clarke who reluctantly returns from the U.K. to Australia and the small town where she ditched her fiancé. But once a case lands on her desk, her tenacity and endurance means she can’t rest until the killer is in handcuffs.

Taking charge as the franchise’s first lead female detective is Anna Samson. Unravelling the murder mysteries alongside her is the ensemble cast of Lloyd Griffith,...

The final season of ABC political drama 'Total Control' will air from Sunday, bringing an end to five-year journey for production company Blackfella Films. If speaks with producers Darren Dale and Erin Bretherton, and director Jub Clerc.

The post Letting go of ‘Total Control’: The creative team reflect on the ABC drama’s final season appeared first on If Magazine.

Production expenditure on scripted screen production in Australia in 2022/23 was the second highest on record at $1.49Bn (A$2.34Bn) across 213 titles, according to Screen Australia’s annual drama report, but spend on Australian theatrical features declined by 54% from last year.

Spend on scripted screen production was down 4% on last year’s record expenditure but was still significantly above the five-year average, the report found. Australian titles made up $718M (A$1.13Bn) of that expenditure with decreases in spending by Australian subscription TV and SVOD services.

However Free-to-Air (Fta) TV and Broadcaster Video-On-Demand (Bvod) providers helped offset those declines with spend on titles such as Total Control Series 3, Rfds Series 2 and While The Men Are Away.

Meanwhile, Australian theatrical features saw total expenditure of $231M (A$363M) in 2022/23, down 54% compared to the previous year and 17% below the five-year average. Australian features produced during this period include Warwick Thornton’s The New Boy,...

Best-selling Australian novel, Runt” is to be adapted as a feature movie that will begin shooting from next month. Studiocanal is handling international rights sales and local distribution in Australia and New Zealand.

The story is a heartfelt, contemporary Australian tale, set in the country town of Upson Downs, where eleven-year-old Annie Shearer and her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt, try to save their family farm by competing in the Agility Course Grand Championships at the prestigious Krumpets Dog Show in London.

The book was released in 2022 and won a clean sweep of the major Australian literary awards including the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s book of the year for young readers, book of the year for younger children at the Australian Book Industry Awards, and overall book of the year at the Australian Indie Book Awards.

The movie is adapted for the screen by...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Thursday, September 21, 2023.

CBS is switching up its plans for NCIS: Sydney.

The latest entry in the iconic franchise will now launch Tuesday, November 14, at 8 p.m. Et/Pt.

This is an upgraded time slot because the series was initially set to air on Mondays at 10 p.m. out of NCIS encores.

Now, NCIS encores will air on Tuesdays at 9 p.m., while FBI True will air in the 10 p.m. slot.

"With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (Afp) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet," the official synopsis for the new procedural teases.

The series stars Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and Todd Lasance...

Just when we thought we wouldn't have any NCIS content on the CBS fall schedule, the network called in an assist from NCIS: Sydney.

And now, we have our first look.

CBS dropped the official trailer for NCIS: Sydney Season 1 on Wednesday, and the series certainly capitalizes on its new setting.

It's hard to believe it's taken this long to get an international iteration of the franchise off the ground, but we'll get it on Mondays this fall when NCIS: Sydney debuts in the 10 p.m. Et timeslot.

Off the bat, the series does have the action and teamwork that made its predecessors massive success stories.

"With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (Afp) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet,...

CBS has added Paramount+ spinoff “NCIS: Sydney” to its fall lineup, the network announced Tuesday.

The Australia-based series, which marks the franchise’s first-ever international edition, premieres Monday, Nov. 13 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt on CBS with new installments of its eight-episode season airing Mondays in the same time slot. Paramount+ Australia members will get a first look at the series as it premieres on the streamer Friday, Nov. 10, with new episodes streaming Mondays on Paramount+.

Originally set to launch solely on Paramount+ and Network 10, “NCIS: Sydney” locks down the Monday 10 p.m. timeslot for CBS as a then-unannounced Paramount+ original was set to take the hour. Reruns of “NCIS” will kick off the franchise Mondays at 9 p.m.

The schedule addition comes as CBS leverages its cross-network hits, including Paramount Network hit “Yellowstone,” which will make its broadcast TV debut on Sundays starting from Season 1.

“’NCIS’ is one...

With the NCIS franchise dormant due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, CBS is calling in an assist from Australia.

The network announced Tuesday that it will take fans down under with the debut of NCIS: Sydney.

While the series was announced for Australian audiences earlier this year, there was no telling whether it would get a stateside home.

Thankfully, U.S. fans can watch the latest chapter in the iconic franchise beginning Monday, November 13, at 10 p.m. Et/Pt.

"With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (Afp) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet," the official synopsis for the new procedural teases.

NCIS: Sydney marks the fifth series in the popular global NCIS franchise, which includes NCIS and NCIS: Hawai'i,...

NCIS: Sydney has found its agents.

The decades-old franchise’s debut international version for Paramount+ and Network 10 will see Olivia Swann (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow ) play NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and Spartacus: War of the Damned’s Todd Lasance lead as Sergeant Jim “Jd” Dempsey.

The duo are joined by Sean Sagar as NCIS Special Agent, DeShawn Jackson; Tuuli Narkle as Afp Liaison Officer, Constable Evie Cooper; Mavournee Hazel (Shantaram, Halifax: Retribution) as Afp Forensic Scientist, Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson and William McInnes (The Newsreader, Total Control) as Afp Forensic Pathologist, Dr Roy Penrose.

Produced by Endemol Shine Australia, NCIS: Sydney is currently filming in the Australian harbor city and will launch later on Paramount+ and the Australian broadcaster. It will follow the eclectic team of U.S. NCIS Agents and the Australian Federal Police (Afp), who...

Australian actors Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths have begun production on the final six-episode season of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s award-winning female-led political drama series “Total Control.”

With screenplays by Stuart Page, Julia Moriarty, Pip Karmel and Meyne Wyatt, season three picks up almost two years after the explosive events of the second season.

Outsider turned kingmaker, Alex Irving (Mailman), is completely at home in the nation’s capital. While Rachel Anderson (Griffiths), now an occasional ally, is threatening to upend the entire system by establishing her own political party. However, as Alex attempts to carve out a nation changing legacy, a controversy engineered by her enemies threatens to destroy her career and public reputation. In the final season, Alex must make a choice: either she can stay true to her principles and accept defeat, or she can get her hands dirty and fight back.

Directed by Wayne Blair and Jub Clerc,...

A new study published Friday by Screen Australia shows that the country’s on-screen television diversity has increased significantly in the past six years, but there remains more to be done.

“Seeing Ourselves 2: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Australian TV Drama” examined the diversity of the main characters in 361 scripted Australian TV and online dramas broadcast between 2016 and 2021. It compared that data with the Australian population and a previous report “Seeing Ourselves” published in 2016.

The new report shows that there is higher representation for First Nations people, disabled people (6.6% from 3.6%), Lgbtqi+ people (7.4% from 4.5%), and non-European people (16% from 6.9%).

“However, a number of Australia’s communities remain under-represented on-screen compared to population benchmarks and in particular disability representation remains critically low,” the report said.

The report looked at First Nations people, cultural background of non-First Nations people, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation, age and occupational status, and diversity in children’s drama.

Australian TV drama has improved levels of diversity, especially representation of the country’s First Nations population, but several communities remain under-represented on local screens, according to a study issued today by government agency Screen Australia.

The report shows that representation of First Nations people has increased from 4.8% to 7.2% since 2016, compared to the population benchmark of 3.8%. Australian scripted series including Mystery Road and Total Control, along with comedy sketch show Black Comedy, were noted for contributing to the positive result.

“This result shows good progress and it’s not by accident – it represents years of advocacy and consistent hard work to ensure our practitioners feel supported and are afforded opportunities in an industry that hasn’t always been accessible,” said Screen Australia’s Head of First Nations, Angela Bates.

The study, ‘Seeing Ourselves 2: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Australian TV Drama’, looked at the diversity of main characters in...

Sundance Now and AMC+ have released the official trailer for Black Snow, a new six-part series premiering on February 23, 2023. Described as part whodunit and part coming-of-age drama, Black Snow stars Travis Fimmel as a cold-case detective investigating a murder.

In addition to unveiling the official trailer, AMC+ and Sundance Now released a batch of photos ahead of the show’s two-episode premiere.

In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Fimmel described why Black Snow caught his interest.

“What intrigued me about him is that he’s a very flawed character. He’s got a lot of issues, childhood issues that he’s still dealing with, parental figures, and I think that’s the reason he became a cold-case detective,” said Fimmel. “There’s some stuff that unravels in the story that he went through that is very similar to the stuff that’s going on in the main storyline.

Production has begun in Brisbane, Australia, on dramatic comedy film “A Savage Christmas.”

The story is that of a trans woman who, after years of estrangement, returns home for Christmas with her new boyfriend. Expecting her transition to be the focus, it is instead overshadowed by family secrets and lies which threaten not only their lives but another Christmas lunch.

The film is written, directed and produced by feature debutant Madeleine Dyer, who has pitched it as stylistically resembling “Death at a Funeral” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” Screen Australia’s head of content Grainne Brunsdon said the film “blends off-beat humor while reflecting our nation’s diversity.” Dyer co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Mulvihill and Max Jahufer.

The film is also the debut production from Roaring Entertainment, a newly formed company by Brisbane-based producers Ben McNeill and Mulvihill.

Members of the Savage family are played by Helen Thomson (“Elvis”), Darren Gilshenan,...

ITV in the U.K. has acquired “Bali 2002,” a new four-part drama exploring the everyday heroes directly impacted by the terrorist bombings on the Indonesian island’s tourist hotspots 20 years ago. Represented by Banijay Rights, the drama stars Rachel Griffiths (“Total Control”), Richard Roxburgh (“Rake”) and Claudia Jesse (“Bridgerton”). It will air on the new streaming service Itvx next year.

“Bali 2002” was co-produced by Banijay labels, Endemol Shine Australia and Screentime, and marked the first original drama co-commissioned by the Australian streamer Stan and commercial TV group 9Network. The series premiered last month on Stan.

“Bali 2002” recounts the tragic events of October 12, 2002, when the island was shattered by a terrorist attack on two of Kuta Beach’s busiest nightclubs. Local Balinese, as well as Australian and British tourists, scrambled to rescue the injured, while the Australian and Indonesian authorities mobilized to evacuate survivors, identify victims and investigate what really took place.

Festival

Japanese director Kawase Naomi will lead the international competition jury of the 44th Cairo International Film Festival (Nov. 13-22).

Kawase won the Caméra d’Or for best debut feature film at Cannes for “Moe no Suzaku” (1997) and also won awards there for “Mogari no Mori” (2007) and “Hikari” (2017). In 2000, her film “Hotaru” won the Fipresci award at Locarno.

Cairo festival president Hussein Fahmy said that Kawase has had a distinguished career and possesses great experience that qualified her to obtain prestigious awards from various international festivals.

Festival director Amir Ramses added that the presence of an award-winning female director with such a successful career and rich filmography is a great inspiration to female filmmakers in Egypt.

Solidarity

The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Icfr) has declared solidarity with all those in Iran who stand up for their basic human rights and the freedom of expression.

“This is a revolution...

Netflix’s series adaptation of Australian novel Boy Swallows Universe has unveiled its cast, and first images from the shoot have been released.

Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker and Phoebe Tonkin topline an ensemble cast for the eight-part limited series, which is based on Trent Dalton’s book and is now in production in Brisbane, Australia.

Deadline first revealed news of the project in May 2019, and Netflix boarded it earlier this year.

2022 Netflix Pilot & Series Orders

The book, set in the violent working-class suburban fringe of Brisbane in 1983, follows Eli Bell, an articulate 12-year-old boy, and his mute brother Gus. A synopsis for the novel reads: “Eli Bell’s life is complicated. His father is lost, his mother is in jail and his stepdad is a heroin dealer. The most steadfast adult in Eli’s life is Slim — a...

AMC Networks’ streaming platform Sundance Now is expanding its 2023 slate with orders for two new series, dark comedy Totally Completely Fine and fantasy mystery series Sanctuary, based on V.V. James novel. They join the recently announced upcoming series Clean Sweep, The Lovers, SisterS, Black Snow, and Far North, all for premiere in 2023.

Inspired by true events, six-part dark comedy Totally Completely Fine, a Sundance Now Original series, stars Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit) and explores the complexities of grief, the power of friendship, and the ways our sadness can unite us. Per the logline, the series follows 20-something Vivian Cunningham (McKenzie), whose life is a mess. Last week she accidentally burnt down her brother’s vegan food truck with a bacon-flavored vape and this week she’s inherited her grandfather’s coastal clifftop shack and is tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge.

Series also stars Devon Terrell (Rap Sh!

AMC Networks’ Sundance Now has commissioned “Totally, Completely Fine” and “Sanctuary” as two new titles joining the streaming platform’s 2023 slate of original projects.

Written, created and executive produced by Gretel Vella, “Totally, Completely Fine” explores the complexities of grief, the power of friendship, and the ways our sadness can unite us. Inspired by true events,the six-part dark comedy follows 20-something Vivian Cunningham (Thomasin McKenzie), whose life is a mess but nevertheless winds up tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge as she endures her own comedic catastrophes like accidentally burning down her brother’s vegan food truck with a bacon-flavored vape.

Devon Terrell (“Rap Sh!t”), Brandon McLelland (“The Other Guy”), Rowan Witt (“Book of Mormon” – Original Australian Cast), Contessa Treffone (“Doctor Doctor”), James Sweeny (“Total Control”), Max Crean (“Mystic”) and Brigid Zengeni (“The Good Liar”) join the JoJo Rabbit star among the cast.

Princess Diana Police Investigations Explored By Channel 4 & Discovery+

The story of the two police investigations into the death of Princess Diana is to be told in a rare co-production for Channel 4 and Discovery+. With access to top detectives in the UK and France, most of whom are speaking for the first time, Sandpaper Films’ four-parter Investigating Diana: Death in Paris (working title) will examine investigations led by the French Brigade Criminelle in 1997 and UK’s Metropolitan Police in 2004. The People’s Princess’ 1997 car crash shocked the world and ignited a debate about how she died, one that is still being discussed in forensic detail today, riddled with conspiracy theories. Channel 4 will launch first in the UK and Discovery+ has taken second window outside the UK. “This utterly compelling series explores in forensic detail what happened in the investigations following the death of Princess Diana – what it was like for...

Kindling Pictures, the new production company headed by award-winning Australian producer Imogen Banks has begun production on its maiden show “Safe Home.”

The four-part thriller, which is made for Australian public broadcaster Special Broadcasting Services (Sbs), stars Aisha Dee (“Sissy” and TV’s “The Bold Type”) in the tale of a twenty-something professional who leaves her job at a prominent law firm to help a struggling family violence legal center stop looming funding cuts. As interconnecting stories unfold, relationships are tested and the pressure mounts to save the center. With so much at stake, the woman must navigate a path that isn’t always clear – and things aren’t always as they appear.

Directed by award-winning director Stevie Cruz-Martin and created by acclaimed playwright Anna Barnes, “Safe Home” was inspired by Barnes’ time working at a family legal center in Melbourne. The series is written by Barnes, Michelle Law and...

Miranda Otto, Jesse Spence and Guy Pearce are among the high-profile stars featuring on Disney+’s debut slate in Australia and New Zealand.

Announced at an event at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the 2022/23 slate comprises three dramas, four documentaries and two lifestyle/general factual entertainment series. Several are for Disney+’s adult vertical Star.

On the scripted drama front, The Clearing is adapted from Jp Pomare’s novel ‘In the Clearing’ and is inspired by Australian cult The Family and its founder Anne Hamilton-Byrne, one of the few female cult leaders in history.

Teresa Palmer (A Discovery of Witches), Miranda Otto (The Usual Suspects) and Guy Pearce (Jack Irish) lead the cast, alongside the lies of Hazem Shammas (Safe Harbour), Mark Coles-Smith (Mystery Road), Tom Budge (Bloom).

Written and created by Matt Cameron (Jack Irish) and Elise McCredie (Stateless) alongside co-writer Osamah Sami (Ali’s Wedding), it comes from...

Zombie Action-Horror Wyrmwood: Apocalypse has released new BTS photos and gory character posters ahead of the April 14 VOD release from XYZ Films.

Rhys lives in the zombie-infested wasteland. His job is to capture civilians and deliver them to what’s left of the military. When Rhys captures a half-zombie-half-human named Grace, he comes to believe she is the key to ending the apocalypse.

Check out the trailer.

The latest feature from Australian filmmaking brother duo Kiah Roache-Turner and Tristan Roache-Turner, whose previous collaborations include their breakout feature debut Wyrmwood: Road Of The Dead, which premiered at the 2014 Fantastic Fest and put them on the map internationally for their creative use of low-budget gore and highly effective horrific story, and the 2018 TIFF Midnight Madness premiere Nekrotronic. The two share co-writing credits while Kiah handles direction with energetic ease and Tristan produces.

With a mix of new and familiar faces from...

Watch the Trailer for Wyrmwood: Apocalypse: "The latest feature from Australian filmmaking brother duo Kiah Roache-Turner and Tristan Roache-Turner, whose previous collaborations include their breakout feature debut Wyrmwood: Road Of The Dead, which premiered at the 2014 Fantastic Fest and put them on the map internationally for their creative use of low-budget gore and highly effective horrific story, and the 2018 TIFF Midnight Madness premiere Nekrotronic. The two share co-writing credits while Kiah handles direction with energetic ease and Tristan produces.

With a mix of new and familiar faces from the creative worlds of the Roache-Turner brothers , Wyrmwood: Apocalypse stars Luke McKenzie, Bianca Bradey (Wyrmwood: Road Of The Dead), Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Total Control), Tasia Zalar (Mystery Road), Jay Gallagher, and Nicholas Boshier (Soul Mates).

Blake Northfield (Streamline) produced alongside Tristan Roache-Turner, and Todd Brown and Maxime Cottray executive produced for XYZ Films.

Synopsis: Rhys lives in the zombie-infested wasteland. His job...

Jana McKinnon, Markella Kavenagh and Yerin Ha have joined the cast of Australian TV series “Bad Behaviour.”

Filming of the four-part show, which is adapted from the acclaimed book of the same name by writer Rebecca Starford, has now completed in Victoria, Australia. It is expected to play on Australian streaming platform Stan later this year.

McKinnon (“We Children of Bahnhof Zoo”) stars as scholarship student, who arrives at Silver Creek for a year of character building at the wilderness campus of an exclusive girl’s boarding school. Instead, she finds herself in a dormitory of the most volatile and the most vulnerable.

Kavenagh has recent roles in “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” while Ha has credits including “Halo.” Other newly-announced additions to the cast are: Tuuli Narkle (“Mystery Road”), Dan Spielman (“Stateless”), Diana Glenn (“Harrow”), Mantshologane Maile (“The PMs Daughter”), Erana James (“The Wilds”) and newcomers Melissa Kahraman,...

HBO Max announced the March 3 premiere of its mini-series “The Tourist,” starring Golden Globe nominee Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”). Dornan stars as a British man who is pursued by a large tank truck in the Australian outback, ending with him waking up in the hospital with no memory of his identity. As people from his past follow him around, he begins to look for answers.

The cast also includes Danielle Macdonald (“Dumplin’”), Shalom Brune-Franklin (“Line of Duty”), Damon Herriman (“Mindhunter”), Alex Dimitriades (“Total Control”), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (“Eurovision Song Contest”), and Kamil Ellis (“Bushwacked!”).

“The Tourist” was written by Emmy and Golden Globe winners Harry and Jack Williams (“Baptiste”), who also executive produce alongside Christopher Aird (“Liar”). Lisa Scott (“The Hunting”) is a producer and Chris Sweeney (“Back to Life”) is an EP and director. The show is produced by Two Brothers Pictures (an All3Media company) for the BBC, in association with Highview Productions,...

Since launching in 2015, Keshet Studios, the U.S. division of Keshet International (Ki), has proved a model worth copying for international content producers looking to make it big in Hollywood. The company now develops and produces content for all the biggest broadcasters and streamers in several languages for both U.S. and international audiences. Led by president Peter Traugott, the outfit leans on Ki’s existing international catalog while also acquiring third party IP and developing new originals. Below, 10 Keshet Studio titles currently in development or production.

“La Brea” Ordered by NBC at the beginning of 2021, this original series was created by David Applebaum (“The Mentalist”) and Keshet Studios, which co-produces alongside Universal Television. Already picked up for a second season, it was this fall’s top-rated series among audiences 18-49 in the U.S., with more than 47 million viewers tuning in to the L.A.-based disaster thriller.

“The Missing...

Keshet International (Ki) launched its U.S.-based production arm Keshet Studios (Ks) in 2015 with the idea of building a small, independent-style studio that could develop and produce original content for the U.S. and global marketplaces by supporting diverse voices, stories and talent. Since then, the label has generated content for the biggest streamers and networks in the U.S. and abroad and has entered into a lucrative first-look partnership with Universal Television which was renewed in February of this year.

One of the founding fathers – despite only being in his mid-20s at the time – of that original Ks venture was Asher Landay. Landay, director of scripted programming for Ks, has since been involved in developing and producing the company’s scripted slate including standout projects such as Apple TV Plus’ “Echo 3,” HBO’s “Our Boys,” David E. Kelly’s “The Missing” at Peacock and “La Brea,” a...

Australian contemporary political thriller series “Total Control” has been licensed by broadcasters and streamers across Asia and Latin America, following the recent launch of a second season.

Starring Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths, the show confronts a range of issues around race, diversity and First Nations rights. Produced by Blackfella Films, the narrative depicts a fearless Indigenous senator facing an election and the judgement of the people, after engineering a remarkable coup that unseated the Prime Minister.

Rights licensing outside North America is handled by independent distributor All3Media International. At the Asia Television Forum & Market in Singapore this week, the company announced that HBO Max Latin America has licensed both seasons.

In Asia, Korean streamer Watcha has secured rights for Japan. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has signed a multi-territory deal covering territories including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan and Malaysia for the second season.

Acorn premiers the show in U.

ABC’s The Newsreader has collected a further six Aacta Award nominations, taking its total to 16, with the academy unveiling the technical craft nominees today.

Nitram now leads in film after picking up another eight nominations, taking its total to 15. High Ground gathered four further nods, taking its tally to 12, tying it with The Dry, which gained another six today.

This year’s Industry Awards will again be virtual, broadcast online on Aacta TV as part of the 2021 ScreenFest Program, as well as Binge and Foxtel Arena, December 6. The ceremony will then be held two days later at the Sydney Opera House.

This year, key film prizes as best supporting actor and actress in a film, as well as best original and adapted screenplays, will be presented during the industry awards, rather than the main ceremony as has been the case in previous years. Other key TV prizes will also...

Aacta has revealed those in contention for the major film, television and short-form prizes at this year’s awards, with High Ground leading the charge in the film categories and The Newsreader ahead in television.

The nominations follow those revealed for feature documentary in July, with the technical craft categories still to come.

Aacta also announced today that this year’s awards will move from The Star to the Sydney Opera House, with the ceremony to be held December 8.

There has also been a change in broadcast partners from Seven to 10, where the ceremony will air first followed by an encore on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and Aacta TV.

High Ground has earned eight nominations, including Best Film. Also nominated for the night’s major prize are Nitram, which earned seven nods, The Dry, which has six, as well as The Furnace, Penguin Bloom and Rams.

The Best Indie Film Award,...

The second season of Total Control will launch on the ABC November 7.

In the first season, political newcomer Alex Irving (Deborah Mailman) engineered a coup against Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths), the Prime Minister who appointed her to the Senate.

In season two, both Alex and Rachel find themselves treading different political paths. After being dumped by her own party, Rachel relies on strategist Nick Pearce (Alex Dimitriades) to guide her political ambitions, while Alex finds herself surrounded by a new team, led by her brother Charlie (Rob Collins). But politics can be a nasty business. Will Alex’s determination and the tenacity of her grass-roots driven team be enough? Can she survive a system determined to shake everything she values? And can these political adversaries become political allies?

Reprising their roles in the Blackfella Films series are Rob Collins, Wes Patten, Anthony Hayes, William McInnes, Huw Higginson and Lisa Flanagan,...

Newly-appointed Screen Australia head of First Nations Angela Bates is taking an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to the role, insisting her focus is on furthering the strides made by her predecessors.

Bates, who first joined the department in early 2019 as development and investment manager, had the opportunity to work closely with previous head Penny Smallacombe, who vacated the position in May after more than six years.

Speaking to If, she said she would draw on the five strategic pillars identified in The Next 25 Years, a strategy that Smallacombe developed in consultation with filmmakers and industry stakeholders during the department’s 25th anniversary year in 2018.

“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here,” she said.

“There are five key pillars that underpin The Next 25 Years strategy – Indigenous storytelling, identifying stories and talent, developing talent, connecting talent, and advocating for indigenous representation and leadership.

“I...

The second season of ABC/Blackfella Films’ Total Control will headline this year’s Series Mania Melbourne, which will be held online next month.

Organised by Acmi and Film Victoria, in partnership with Series Mania France, the four-day event includes a public screening program comprising a mix of web series, comedy, and drama.

The festival also features a Screen Industry Day on October 14 that incorporates craft-focused panels, keynotes, and masterclasses with global creators.

Series Mania Melbourne will commence with the opening two episodes from political drama Total Control, starring Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths. The second instalment picks up where Senator Alex Irving’s (Mailman) crusade left off, as she vies to hold everyone to account. Mailman and Griffiths are joined by a host of new cast members for the second season, including Wayne Blair, who is also directing.

Other program highlights include ABC doomsday comedy Preppers from writers/creators Nakkiah Lui and Gabriel Dowrick.

Screen Australia has promoted Angela Bates to head of First Nations following the departure of Penny Smallacombe in May.

Bates steps into the role after almost three years as development and investment manager for the First Nations department, during which time she supported titles such as Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky, the second season of Total Control, the third season of Little J & Big Cuz, as well as Indigenous initiative Cook 2020: Our Right of Reply, and the pilot of the First Nations Creator Program.

She has more than two decades of experience in the media sector as a TV producer, writer, journalist, and documentary filmmaker, with her career including multiple roles at Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (Caama radio), Sydney’s Koori Radio, Sbs’s Living Black program, and Nitv.

While at Nitv, she was the inaugural executive producer for Nitv National News, where she set up the first...

Chris Hemsworth, Jacki Weaver, Alia Shawkat, Total Control director Rachel Perkins and casting director Nina Gold (Solo: A Star Wars Story) are set to judge the Heath Ledger Scholarship, Australians in Film revealed Wednesday.

Gregor Jordan, who directed Ledger in Two Hands and Ned Kelly and was a longtime friend of the late actor, will serve as Patron of the acting prize.

Prior to the decision of the aforementioned judges, a panel of first-round judges comprised of Australian and American casting directors including Barbara McCarthy (The Spectacular Now), Alyssa Weisberg (X-Men: Dark Phoenix), will determine a group of five finalists.

“We are thrilled at the ...